


merrymaking

by xsilverstar



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Chrom is a dork, F/M, awkward pining, f!robin - Freeform, lots of awkward situations and fluff, naga help him, someone save chrom from his embarrassment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-20 15:22:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13149450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xsilverstar/pseuds/xsilverstar
Summary: The four times Chrom failed to ask Robin about spending the holidays with him and the one time he did not. Secret Santa gift for eos70 on Tumblr as part of the FE Holiday Exchange 2017. (Chrom/F!Robin)





	merrymaking

**Author's Note:**

> Secret Santa for @eos70 on Tumblr as part of the FE Holiday Exchange! I hope this is as fluffy as they wanted it. Happy Holidays, everyone! :)
> 
> Set sometime before the war with Valm, but after the war with Plegia. I honestly don't remember how long the time span was between the wars, but let's pretend it was long enough for it to get to winter!

It was getting cold. Really cold.

Ylisse's climate certainly never reached anything as frigid as Regna Ferox's, but it did get cold enough to give a few Shepherds the sniffles. And when a few Shepherds got the sniffles, the whole camp seemed to follow. 

Sadly, winter’s victims weren’t just limited to the Shepherds—the criminal season seemed to incur sickness and discomfort all over the halidom. On top of all the illnesses, icy roads and pathways caused trouble for many children and elderly. The Shepherds’ duties during winter were almost exclusively shoveling snow and melting ice. Needless to say, this could get extremely boring extremely fast. 

For that reason, Chrom always saw winter as a season to plow and persevere through. It was a dastardly foe that was impossible to grab hold of and suppress, unlike groups of brigands who were easily stopped. The only thing that stopped winter was spring. The rest was beyond anyone's control. 

Despite the obvious downsides, there was one good thing about the season: the Winter Solstice Festival. It was the one day out of the few months of cold that all of Ylisse’s citizens held joy. Every year, Chrom, Lissa, and Emmeryn would head into town to celebrate the Solstice with the people. They mingled among the common folk, ate varieties of good food, and gave out gifts to all the children. Chrom loved the way the young ones lit up at the sight of a gift. It always reminded him of his own childhood. 

That winter was different, however. Emmeryn wasn't around anymore to spread Christmas cheer. Chrom was long past mourning for her, he had decided to move on a long time ago, but without Emm, he didn't see a point to making a big deal of the Winter Solstice Festival. He'd go to the festival, but only to keep watch like a good Shepard and future Exalt would. He thought that he had nothing to look forward to...until Lissa opened his eyes. 

"This is Robin's first real Winter Solstice, you know," she had said. "Don't you want to celebrate it with her?" 

Little did Chrom know that those words would lead him into numerous uncomfortable situations as he attempted to ask Robin what strangely was one of the hardest things he had ever had to ask a person in all his life. Or that he would lose nearly all of his pride in the process. 

  

- 

 **[** **10 days until the Winter Solstice Festival** **]**  

- 

  

"Would you like to attend the Winter Solstice Festival with me? No, no, perhaps more casual. Hey, Robin. Uh, are you busy on the twenty-first? Why? Well, that's when the Winter Solstice Festival is...ergh, no..." 

"You're doing excellent, milord." 

Chrom pressed his hot cheeks into his hands, groaning. He couldn't believe that he had stooped so low as to need to practice in front of Frederick. It was utterly pathetic of Ylisse's future Exalt, but he needed the safety net of someone else's approval. Besides, Frederick was the only person Chrom trusted not to laugh at him. 

"Say you were in my position, Frederick," Chrom started, though he knew he would come to regret it. "What would you do?" 

Frederick didn't hesitate. He immediately said, "Well, first, I would approach them with one of the Winter Solstice poster of milord that advertises the festival—" 

"What?!" Chrom flinched in surprise. "Since when are there posters of me for the festival?" 

A familiar grin spread itself across the knight's face. Chrom knew this face too well—it was Frederick's proud, over-bearing retainer smile. Nothing practical ever followed that look. 

"Milord should be pleased to know that I took it upon myself to post both milord's and milady Lissa's winter portraits across the halidom," Frederick murmured. "The people will be so taken with them that they will flock to the Winter Solstice Festival. And as for if I were in your position, I'm sure that any young maiden who saw milord's noble poster would immediately wish to participate." 

Definitely not.  

Chrom really appreciated all that Frederick did for him and the Shepherds, but for such a wise knight, he could be extremely unreasonable sometimes. The blue-haired lord paced his bedroom, trying to think of a plan of attack that was actually logical. Presenting Robin a portrait of himself would only embarrass him beyond belief. And giving the tactician one of his sister would just be strange. 

But maybe Frederick's plan wasn't all bad. After all, a poster was a casual way to introduce the topic into conversation without trying too hard. 

"Tell me, Frederick, are there any posters left for the festival?" Chrom asked. "Er, preferably one that doesn't have my face on it." 

"Why, yes." Frederick nodded adamantly. "In fact, I'm going to retrieve some from the artisans after I finish my morning patrol. Would you like me to pass one along to Robin for you?" 

"That...would actually be great," Chrom replied, smiling at his friend. "Just remember, not a poster of my face." 

"Understood, milord." 

  

* * *

 

Chrom was in the middle of sorting through his items in the barracks when someone walked in. He turned to greet them, but the words stuck in his throat. The Shepherds' tactician, a resilient swords-woman and mage, was making her way across the room to him. Her twin-tails bounced with her every step, forming something akin to a silver halo around her face. It was refreshing to see, but Robin didn't seem in an angelic mood. Her brows were furrowed, and grasped in her hands was a sheet of paper. 

That was the poster that Chrom asked Frederick to retrieve, wasn't it? So why did she look so concerned? 

Before Chrom could ask, Robin spoke up. 

"Ah, Chrom. I was looking for you." She held up the paper so that he could see it. "This poster ended up in my mail today. Do you know anything about it?"  

When Chrom saw the picture, he just about burned to a crisp right in front of her. 

"Huh?!" he mumbled in surprise. 

"I know, that's what I said!" Robin replied. "Isn't this strange? Of course, there's no face, but I noticed the brand on the arm so I assumed this was a picture of you..." 

"Oh, Gods, it certainly is..." Chrom said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "And it's certainly  _not_ a picture of my face..." 

Perhaps Chrom should have specified a bit more when he asked Frederick to send along a poster. But was it really his fault that the knight completely misunderstood what he meant? 

Instead of a picture of his face, Chrom was staring at a Winter Solstice Festival poster that was complete...but only pictured his body. The prince was pictured in what he could only describe as an over-the-top holiday outfit: a red coat was draped across his shoulders (one sleeve torn off, of course), and a large sack of presents was gripped in his hand. Chrom could see the poofy strands of what was probably a grand, white beard rolling down his chest...and he wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but his stomach appeared a bit more rotund than usual. 

On top of that all, the prince assumed that Frederick had literally cut the actual poster, because where it should have read something along the lines of, "Come to the Winter Solstice Festival!" it only read, "Come...Winter...!" 

Robin laughed. "What's with this strange costume?" she asked. "I mean, it's definitely better than the 'Chrom Wants You' posters, but this get up...is it some kind of Ylissean fashion that I'm not aware of?" 

"Oh, that...well, according to fable, there was once a man who gave out presents to children garbed in such attire," Chrom explained. "Around the holidays, some dress up like him to celebrate." 

"Hmm...interesting." Robin looked immensely relieved, if the smile on her face told him anything. "Well, if that's all this is, then I guess it's fine. I just wanted to make sure Frederick wasn't up to something that may have embarrassed you again." 

This was his chance to speak out and tell her the truth. All his practice had him prepared, he thought as his stomach began to churn. There was nothing to worry about, Chrom repeated in his head as he took an incredibly small step forward. He could do this, he told himself as his trembling lips opened. 

 _"Robin, I actually asked Frederick to give that to you. I wanted to know if you'd like to go to the Winter Solstice Festival with me. It's one of my favorite holiday events, and I think you'd enjoy it."_  

...Is what he should have said. 

"If you'll excuse me," Chrom murmured, "I have snow duty soon. I can't let the Shepherds think their leader is skipping out on shoveling." 

"Oh, okay," she answered. Suddenly, she tilted her head. "Wait a minute, don't you have snow duty this afternoon—?" 

"Farewell, Robin!" Chrom exclaimed, hurriedly shutting the door. 

His legs had never carried him faster. Chrom emerged from the compound, cheeks stinging from the sudden drop in temperature. He only realized then how hot his face had become. Not only had he failed to ask Robin a simple question, but he had probably looked like a cherry tomato while doing it. 

Chrom found a decent pile of snow and collapsed face-first atop of it. 

 

- 

 **[** **9 days until the Winter Solstice Festival** **]**  

-   

 

Chrom had been ruminating on his decisions the previous day with a self-deprecating attitude; it wasn't like him to be so nervous around Robin. He knew the tactician didn't appreciate the thought, but Chrom honestly saw her less as a woman and more as a comrade in battle. Though he knew that those two things could be one and the same, a female Shepherd never left him puzzled or flustered like the ladies of the court in Ylisstol. The court women were so fancily-dressed and well-mannered that Chrom always felt that he needed to be on guard to keep up a good image. 

With Robin, he never felt the need to hide himself. He was as comfortable as could be. 

So why was it that the mere thought of her made his ears tingle with warmth and his chest pound? Was it because he was so embarrassed from their encounter the day before? Oh, how he wished he knew. 

"Maybe if I talk to her again," Chrom said to himself. "Surely, if I just ask her about the festival, I'll forget all about my nerves and this whole endeavor will be over." 

Pleased with himself for thinking up  _such_ a clever plan, Chrom set out to find Robin. He didn't need a poster or fancy words to get his message across to her. She wasn't some lady of the court who would turn her nose at him should he come across as uncouth. Robin was one of his dearest friends, and deep in his heart, he knew that she would remain his comrade no matter how stupid he sounded. 

He found her in the room that many Shepherds liked to call "the Support Room." It was something that every Shepherd told the new recruits about, but it certainly wasn't a joke. The stigma was that whenever two people walked into the Support Room, they'd come out as closer friends...or sometimes as closer lovers. Chrom could recall at least three couples who had been married in that room, all in the last few months. 

This was already a good sign. That Naga would place Robin in the Support Room meant that she and Chrom would grow closer together, most likely after he successfully asked her to attend the Winter Solstice Festival alongside him. Convinced by his clever thinking, he smiled widely as he approached her. 

"Good morning, Robin," Chrom said. "How fare you?" 

She looked up from her thick book, smiling pleasantly. For some reason, Chrom's eyes lingered at her grin as she replied, "Morning, Chrom. I'm fine, thanks." 

He noticed after a brief moment of silence that he was still staring at her (extremely soft-looking) lips, and with a start, returned his gaze to her round eyes. They looked a lot different...like her eyelashes had grown longer or something of the sort. Yet that wasn't the only odd thing about Robin—her whole face seemed more feminine than ever before. 

"What happened to your face?" he blurted without thinking. 

Robin's smile quickly turned into a frown. "Excuse me?" she asked. 

"Your face...it looks more...girly?" Chrom tapped his bottom lip in thought. She seemed to glow with a feminine youth that wasn't there yesterday. "You look different."

Robin blinked, mouth falling open. She was looking awfully offended for some reason. 

"What?" Chrom felt sweaty all of a sudden. She was staring at him really hard, and it felt like the tips of a thousand swords were just centimeters away from piercing his skin. "Uh...is there something on my face?" 

"My face looks like a girl's because I  _am_  a girl, Chrom," Robin said curtly. 

"I know that," Chrom answered defensively. He laughed suddenly, recalling his thoughts on female Shepherds from earlier. "I guess since I never really think of you as a woman, I was surprised when I got so close." 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Robin snapped. 

"Well, you know...court ladies are all very prim and proper," Chrom explained. He could smell the insurmountable amounts of perfume just by thinking of them. "When I think of a woman, I think of a girl who is fancy and fashionable. Not of you." 

He meant it as a joke, but it was clear that Robin wasn't feeling the same way. If she had looked even slightly angry before, she was livid now. Her hand wrapped firmly around a nearby rock, startling Chrom.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he asked as he took a tentative step back. "...Robin? Ye Gods, why is such a large rock in here anyway?" 

Her thin fingers formed a vice tight grip on the stone. "I was thinking that a good hit with this might fix your eyesight," she said, voice a low growl. 

Chrom was sweating buckets by then. "You know what? I...I actually have to go," he said with what he hoped was a convincing grin. "Snow duty again. Uh, you know how that goes...bye!" 

"Come back here!" Robin exclaimed too late. Chrom ran out of the room just as he had done the day before, slamming the door shut just in case Robin had decided to throw that rock after all. 

With a small sigh, he realized he had failed at asking her about the Winter Solstice Festival...again. 

"Oh, well," he mumbled. "It's not like now was the best time to ask anyway..." 

 

- 

 **[** **7 days until the Winter Solstice** **]**  

- 

  

"So, have you asked Robin about the festival yet?" 

Lissa bounced alongside Chrom as he was taking a walk outside in the castle courtyard. His sister smiled almost deviously up at him, as if she knew that he had been struggling for days with a task that even the simplest of persons could manage in a few seconds. 

He stubbornly avoided to meet Lissa's gaze and said, "Shouldn't you mind your own business, Lissa? I don't see you asking anyone to the festival." 

"Uh, I already asked Maribelle," Lissa responded with a satisfied smile. "Unlike you, Chrom, I don't spontaneously combust before asking my friends if they want to spend time with me." 

"Oh, ha-ha." His tone was sarcastic, but Chrom knew she was right. Lissa was definitely doing better at this "want-to-go-to-the-festival-with-me" business than he was; it had been three days, and what had he managed to do? Accidentally given Robin a poster of himself dressed as Santa Claus and insulted her so much that he had to avoid her wrath for a whole day. 

"You know, Chrom..." Lissa said, disrupting him from his thoughts, "you don't have to worry about her saying 'no' or anything. It's not going to be the end of the world."

Chrom glanced at her, blinking. "Are you trying to give me genuine advice?" he asked, feigning surprise. 

"Hey, I'm not that mean to you." She giggled. "Besides, I do want to see Robin enjoy herself for her first Winter Solstice. And I know that you'd love that just as much as I would." Lissa nudged Chrom with her elbow and wiggled her blonde brows up and down. 

"Um...why are you doing that with your eyebrows?" Chrom asked in confusion. 

"I know you liiiike her." 

"What—?! Just what has gotten into your head this time?!" Chrom sputtered. "Me?!  _Like_ our tactician in anything other than a platonic sense?! We are comrades! A tactician and a general! Why, the thought of me  _l_ _iking_ Robin is just preposterous, young lady—!" 

"Oh my gosh, calm down!" Lissa wasn't any less giggly than before. "I didn't mean like  _that_. I swear, you can be so defensive sometimes." 

"Oh, please." Chrom fought back the blush rising in his cheeks, trying to focus on the barren trees they walked by rather than Lissa's suggestive words. "When you say 'like' with that drawn out 'i', how is anyone to assume any different?" 

"Hehe." Judging by the wide smirk on her face, Lissa was absolutely pleased with herself. "I think you assume too much, Chrom. But anyway." She skipped in front of him, stopping him from walking any further. Chrom stared down at her in confusion. 

"Today's your lucky day, Chrom!" Lissa proclaimed suddenly, jabbing her index finger towards his chest. "You know why? Because your little sister is going to help you out!" Her big, grey eyes were filled with what Chrom could only describe as steel determination. "By the end of the day, we'll have Robin just dying to go to that festival with you!" 

Chrom hesitated before responding. Lissa wasn't usually this nice...unless there was something in it for her. 

"What do you want?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. 

Lissa pouted. "A sister can't want to help her big brother out of the goodness of her heart?" 

"Not if it's you." He crossed his arms. "Come on. Tell me what you want me to do." 

Lissa continued to pout for a while in silence. Then, she huffed. 

"Well, since you insist..." she murmured, "I wouldn't mind getting a bit of taffy for the Winter Solstice...you know, the good kind that Gaius always hoards?" 

Chrom had expected she was looking for a gift. He placed his hand on her head with a small chuckle. 

"You could have just asked me, you know," he said. 

"What? Really?" Lissa asked with wide eyes. "No, you're kidding!" 

Chrom shrugged off her accusations. Ignoring her queries, he said, "Now, are you going to help me with Robin or not?" 

"Oh, of course." Lissa beamed brightly. "Listen up, close, brother. To get her to come to the Solstice with you, all you have to do is..." 

She stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. Chrom thought it silly, but it wasn't as if he had anyone else to go to, so he bent down to let her tell him her advice. 

"Walk up to her really confidently, then tell her you like her dress! All girls like knowing that their dresses are cute. Then, ask her what dress she's wearing to the Solstice Festival. From there, you'll find a way to ask, I'm sure of it!" 

"Lissa, why would you whisper that to me?" Chrom asked suspiciously. 

"Because Robin's right behind you." Lissa quickly fell back to her feet, sticking her hand up high in the air. "Hi, Robin!" she exclaimed. "Chrom wants to talk to you!" 

"Lissa!" Chrom hissed beneath his breath. She didn't mention that he'd have to talk to Robin immediately after getting advice! 

His sister, ever so slippery, disappeared down the pathway they had come from when she spotted some of the other Shepherds. She gave Chrom a thumbs-up. 

He took a deep breath. Robin was catching up fast, but at least that meant that he didn't have any time to freak out about what could possibly go wrong. He really didn't have anything to lose. 

"Alright, step one. Walk to her confidently," he whispered. Chrom knew he could do that. 

Raising a hand in greeting, he put one foot in front of the other like he had been doing since he was twelve months old. The snowy ground crunched beneath his every footstep, and to Chrom, each step felt louder than the last.

Robin was smiling today, so hopefully that meant that she had forgiven him for his remarks the other day. It was pleasant to see her not glaring at him. 

"Hello, Chrom," Robin said, coming to a stop in front of him. 

"Hey," Chrom said. "I, uh, like your dress." 

An awkward silence ensued. Chrom's eyes slowly fell from Robin's face down to her attire. 

Gods, she wasn't even wearing a dress. Robin never wore dresses. Why did Lissa tell him to compliment Robin's dress when she knew Robin didn't wear dresses?! 

"Whoops!" Chrom laughed it off as best as he could. Clearly, not having enough time to think things through wasn't working out for him. Chrom needed a day or two...or maybe a month...then he could ask Robin about the Solstice Festival in a manner that didn't result in his immature death by embarrassment. 

It was time to emergency eject again! 

"You see, I...well...hey, would you look at the time!" Chrom waved at Robin, passing her quickly. 

"Time?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me: snow duty?"

"Yeah! Exactly that!" Chrom nodded. "I'm really dedicated, you know. Snow...it needs to be shoveled by someone. So...farewell." 

With that, he briskly sauntered off, tripping over a pebble on his way. 

"Chrom!" Robin yelled. "The castle is the other way!" 

  

- 

 **[** **3 days until the Winter Solstice** **]**  

- 

  

Chrom needed help from a real expert. Someone who was skilled at both mannerisms and socializing, someone who could tell Chrom exactly how to ask a woman to the Winter Solstice without burning alive or insulting her, someone— 

"Someone like me?" Maribelle had asked with a confident grin. "Well, for sure, you've come to the right place, Lord Chrom." 

To be honest, he spent a good part of his morning practicing tea etiquette with her rather than getting anything done in the way of learning how to ask a woman out, but he felt a bit more confident in himself after conversing with Maribelle. She had taught him a large number of taboos that men often made when speaking with women and how to avoid them.

(Apparently it was rude to ask a woman  _anything_ about her face, no matter if it was a change for the better or worse. Chrom was supposed to keep that to himself and ask indirectly if there had been any changes in the lady's life rather than addressing the issue head on. If only he had known this six days ago...)

All in all, he left Maribelle's company feeling quite educated. He now knew how to sip his tea like a gentleman  _and_ how to talk to women. 

The cold weather couldn't dampen his mood that day. Chrom spotted Robin in front of the bonfire in the middle of the camp, and instead of nerves, he found confidence overwhelm him. There was no messing this one up. 

"It's now or never," he told himself. After a brief pause, he trekked through the frosty grass to Robin. 

"Well-met, Robin," Chrom chirped. 

"'Well-met'?" Robin snorted, turning his way. "Have you been hanging around Maribelle?" 

Sometimes, Robin's depth of perception was scary. Chrom rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. 

"Perhaps," he responded. "She's been rather helpful, actually. I, uh, wanted to ask you something." 

"What is it?" 

Before Chrom answered, a cold breeze swept by, and the fire danced beside them. Its flaming tongues flickered like wild dancers in the wind, crackling with life. The fire reflected in Robin's eyes, and for some reason, Chrom was beginning to feel a little warm. 

This wasn't the normal kind of blushing warmth, though. It was unusually hot. 

Robin's eyes widened to the size of dinner saucers. 

"Oh, Gods, Chrom, your cape!" she shrieked. 

"Huh?" Chrom glanced back at his cape, that had billowed towards the fire when the gust of wind swept by earlier. 

It was on fire. 

Chrom yelped in surprise. 

"Holy cow, Chrom's on fire!" Vaike shouted. 

The entire camp stirred, and everyone erupted into chaos as they tried to find water to douse Chrom's cape in. A particular young mage made his way through the crowd with a green book. 

"I've got this!" Ricken exclaimed. "I'll blow it away with my Elwind, Lord Chrom!" 

"Ricken,  _no_!" Robin shouted, but it was too late. 

 _Woosh_ _!_  

The wind Ricken summoned was harsh enough to hurt, and it knocked Chrom and Robin back a good three meters. It took Chrom a good amount of his might to stay standing. 

Then, it was all gone. Ricken's wind spell seemed to solve the problem...until Chrom turned around. 

Ricken had successfully blown the fire from Chrom's cape and onto the dozens of tents that the Shepherds slept in. 

"S-snow!" Robin exclaimed. "Everyone, gather all the snow you can and...and throw!" 

"Oh, Naga..." Chrom whispered, eyes wide. 

He couldn't help but feel that the universe was trying to tell him something about asking Robin to the Solstice Festival. 

  

* * *

 

After scolding Ricken, Chrom and the other Shepherds set to reconstructing their lost tents. Chrom saw to it that everyone had a place to sleep before collapsing onto the log in front of the now-extinguished fire. His elbows dug into his thighs as he placed his face in his hands. 

Someone sat beside him, and he didn't have to look to tell that it was Robin. Her hand pet his back. 

"If it makes you feel any better...your cape didn't totally burn off," she said at an attempt to be helpful. 

"Yes...that's a good thing," Chrom replied with a small sigh. He looked up at her and smiled pathetically. "And thanks to you, we saved most of the tents before things got too out of hand." 

"Oh, come on, it wasn't just me." Robin was modest as always, but Chrom knew it was her quick-thinking that saved the Shepherds, as it always was. He was so fortunate to have her as his right-hand; Chrom could envision no one better to keep the peace in camp. 

"Oh!" Robin exclaimed suddenly. "Didn't you have something to ask me earlier?" 

"To ask you?" Chrom winced and shot a wary glance at the empty fire pit. After all that had happened, the Winter Solstice Festival was the least of his or Robin's worries. To bring it up now would just be uncalled for. 

"No..." Chrom grinned sheepishly. "Forget it." 

 

- 

 **[1 day until the Winter Solstice]**  

- 

 

Chrom had accepted his fate already. He wasn't going to ask Robin to the Winter Solstice Festival. 

By now, she probably thought he was a bumbling, clumsy fool of a prince. He had done nothing but embarrass himself and her while trying to express his feelings. Even if he asked her to the festival now, he wasn't quite sure if she'd accept. And maybe she already had plans to go with someone else. 

Despite that, Chrom did want to make sure Robin was actually attending the festival. Even if it wasn't with him, he wanted her to enjoy herself on her first Winter Solstice in Ylisse. He didn't know why he felt so strongly that way, but it just didn't feel right to let Robin spend the holiday holed up in her room, reading war histories and preparing tactics. She had worked so hard for the Shepherds ever since she arrived, never failing to impress Chrom. In her hands, they had suffered not a single loss in battle. Her intellect was an admirable trait, and for such a good job she was doing, she deserved to have a bit of fun on the one day of the year where all was calm. 

Chrom figured the best way to figure out if Robin was attending the Solstice Festival or not would be to ask around rather than approaching her directly. He had tried that four times already and failed miserably, after all. 

But much to his surprise, Robin was the first person he ran into when he entered the barracks. It didn't surprise him that she was deep in a book of war tactics, however, it did surprise him that she placed her book down immediately upon noticing him. 

"Chrom! I was just about to go look for you," she said, voice warm. After a moment's hesitation, she continued with, "I wanted to ask you something." 

"Ask me something?" Chrom asked, blinking. He wasn't quite sure if the shock he felt was because those words weren't coming out of his own mouth or because Robin looked so nervous. It was probably a combination of both. 

Robin wrung her hands, which was quite unlike her. "Well, you know how the Winter Solstice is tomorrow? Lissa, Maribelle, and Frederick told me that there's a, uh, festival for it." She shifted her weight from leg to leg. "Is there any chance...I mean...are you going to attend?" 

So the Shepherds he had reached out to had prompted this? Chrom wasn't one to grow mushy and emotional, but he swore he could have shed a tear. Now, not only were they already on the subject of the Winter Solstice Festival, but Robin approached him with the idea first. He made a mental note to drop something extra nice in his three friends' stockings this year. 

Before answering, however, Chrom came to an abrupt stop. This situation seemed almost too good, and with the way his luck had been working out, he had better make sure nothing could possibly go wrong from there. His eyes quickly scoured the room for anything at all that he could potentially trip on or that could set fire to his outfit. 

Pleasingly, the floor was clean and devoid of any pebbles, and the fire place was nonexistent. 

"Er...what are you looking for?" 

Robin's voice brought him back to their conversation. Returning his attention to her, Chrom said, "My apologies." He gave her a big smile he confidently murmured, "Yes, I will attend the festival. I mean, only if you want to too." 

The girl he had been trying so hard to talk to over the past week beamed from ear to ear, her cheeks a soft pink color. Chrom felt warmth spread deep within his chest, making him feel lighter than air itself. He had never imagined that she would look so happy to hear such words come from his mouth. 

"I'd love to go with you, Chrom!" Robin said excitedly. "I've already planned out all the things we can see and the booths we can visit!" She drew a sheet from the book she had been reading, and on it were multiple scribbles and notes about the festivities that were taking place tomorrow. 

Chrom was taken aback by her research. Surely, Robin hadn't completed it overnight, because she would have had to go to town and ask around to know a majority of the things she had written. He stared at her for a moment, but he soon found himself laughing. Why was he ever so worried about asking her to the festival in the first place? 

"What's so funny?" Robin's face had grown deeper in color. She was practically a twin of the red ornaments that hung on the tree behind her. To think that she was just as nervous as he had been all this time! 

Chrom couldn't stop smiling. 

"Oh, nothing," he responded innocently. Leaning closer to her paper with an inquisitive hum, he murmured, "So there's an orange pomander booth this year, is there...?" 


End file.
